Work to expand Battle Ground Middle School will begin this spring after the Tippecanoe School Board approved JR Kelly Company as the general contractor for the project.

The project calls for six new classrooms and additional storage space in each of the three academic wings, as well as improvements and an expansion of the essential skills area.

The work will be done in phases to minimize disruption to students and staff at the school. This is the estimated timetable for each phase:

North academic wings - start March 2019; completion July 2020

Miscellaneous interior work - start June 2019; completion August 2019

South academic wing - start March 2020; completion December 2020

Essential Skills wing - start March 2020; completion December 2020

The building expansion is needed to keep pace with student enrollment and anticipated future growth. Battle Ground Middle School opened for the 2008-09 school year with 462 students, while TSC converted the former middle school building in Battle Ground into additional elementary student space. Enrollment is currently just over 700 students, which is a 52-percent increase during a 10-year period.

"We are looking forward to the additional classrooms to accommodate our growth, especially the enhanced space for our essential skills students," says Principal Jodi Day. "The phased schedule should minimize interruptions, but we would like to ask for everyone's patience and flexibility during construction. We will provide construction updates on our website to keep families informed of the progress."